Techuz InfoWeb Pvt. Ltd.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of an e-learning company. We have a literature learning platform for children aged 7–12. We’ve worked in this field for the past six years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techuz?

We wanted a tech vendor who would create the wireframe for our literature learning platform based on our requirements. They would become our preferred technology vendor for developing the final product based on our business needs. We also wanted to avoid an in-house tech team on our payrolls in the initial phase.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Based on our specifications, they created a wireframe for us. For the first phase, we picked up specific elements to go live with. We provided the business logic and gamification framework; their role was to create the UI/UX and do the coding for web platform based on our business and consumer journey requirements. The same process extended to iOS and Android versions for tablets.

What is the team composition?

Vaibhav (Founder & CEO, Techuz) was the head of the whole project. The team also included a project manager and another contact person, a group that worked on the UI/UX side, another group for HTML coding, and separate developers for iOS and Android.

How did you come to work with Techuz?

They were recommended to us. We chose them because of their capability, technical knowledge, turnaround time, accessibility, and project management abilities.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $30,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July 2017–May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They did the entire project. We went live about six months ago and are very pleased with how everything works. The backend was particularly successful.

How did Techuz perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is good, as are their response times. They manage the project within our timelines and we take time to talk every day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We can rely on them. They never look for shortcuts, and I know they won’t cheat me. They’re as invested in the product as I am and believe in its success.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to maintain the competencies of their current team. They’re hardworking and genuine, and they don’t exaggerate their capabilities. As technologies improve, they’ll need to bring in more ingenuity and expertise and be quick to learn what’s happening around them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a reliable and trustworthy team. If you don’t want to invest in an in-house technical team, call on them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of JobBookers, an online booking platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techuz?

We needed developers for the whole web application. It's too expensive as a startup to hire developers in Switzerland, so we needed to find a firm that worked in our price point.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the project by introducing our idea and what we wanted to implement. They used AngularJS and Laravel to develop the application. They had different milestones throughout the project. They also made any changes we requested.

What is the team composition?

Our initial contact was the CEO. We started the project working with two developers, one frontend and one backend. As the project progressed, we added two additional developers.

How did you come to work with Techuz?

We’d looked into hiring a developer based in London but he was too expensive. A developer friend of mine helped us find Techuz on Upwork. They had the experience we needed, a good price, and good reviews.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we spent around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in August 2016 and the web application launched in May 2018. They also made a few post-launch updates. We’d like to work with them again in the future to implement some new features.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

So far, we’ve received really positive feedback from our clients. They're happy with the design and the functionalities.

How did Techuz perform from a project management standpoint?

The team’s communication was very good. Even though the developers are in India, we were able to stay in touch using Skype. We spoke to them almost daily. If there ever was an issue or question, they looked into it right away and provided a solution.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The developers really cared about the project. With other firms, it's all about the numbers. Techuz likes happy customers. If we had any problems, they'd address them quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a bit of a disconnect at first between how we thought about the project and how they did. In Switzerland, we have a clear mind about what we like and what we want to see. Our vision didn’t necessarily make sense to the developers in India. We had to figure out a way to work together. The first year of the partnership had some rocky moments but it was much better in the second year.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of a software as a service company. We develop chronic medical records for our clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techuz?

I needed an extended development team to help accelerate the development of my application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Techuz helps accelerate the development of our web app using PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, and jQuery. They're helping us create a login system, client portal, appointment administration, and patient database/charts. Their team also helps with maintenance and adding additional features.

What is the team composition?

I work with a project manager, two developers, and a business developer, who was responsible for our contract and billing.

How did you come to work with Techuz?

I researched online and saw that they had good reviews. I got in touch with them and saw that they could deliver on what I required.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $30,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our clients are happy with the new features that we're rapidly adding. We’ve had a positive experience with them thus far.

How did Techuz perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager clearly communicates deadlines and progress. He's sometimes busy with other work but responds quickly to get everything resolved.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a trustworthy team and always deliver what is assigned to them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

From a project management perspective, they should ask and review more, without us having to contact them. They should take the initiative to maintain our relationship, even if things are going smoothly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Handyman Shopper is a new web listing service for home advisors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techuz?

I needed someone to develop my website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After the first company didn’t work out, I needed to redo everything. I was surprised that Techuz could do everything I needed. They did the coding, security, and database structure using HTML5 and the PHP framework. They’re basically handling the entire project. We’ve completed most of it. Now we’re adding some additional features and integrating with Google Reviews.

When you visit the website, you see the frontend management system. There are also backend control panels and an administrator panel where the admin can enter reviews and approve or reject contractors. All three types of login interfaces—for the customer, for the administrator, and for the contractor—can be managed on the backend.

Customers log in on the frontend. If I need work done on my house, I can log in through the frontend and search for a contractor. A contractor sets up their profile from the backend.

What is the team composition?

I mainly interact with two project managers, but there are also a bunch of developers on the backend.

How did you come to work with Techuz?

I searched online for someone who was affordable and capable of delivering the PHP development I needed. I contacted them directly via email.

How much have you invested with them?

I have invested over $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2017 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We haven’t launched the site yet, but they have delivered what I asked of them. Everything works flawlessly, whether you're using a mobile device, a tablet, or a computer. The website is responsive and utilizes the latest technologies.

How did Techuz perform from a project management standpoint?

They do a really good job. They give me constructive feedback. We communicate through email daily and call them weekly. We speak on the phone whenever we ask for a feature or an enhancement, or when we need to explain something.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They hit their deadlines. If they say they'll deliver in two months, they deliver in two months or before. I was surprised they delivered everything in time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re in a different time zone, but I don’t know how they could improve that unless they work at night. When I talk to them on the phone, it’s usually in the evening or early morning when we're both online for a small window. They did adjust a little, sometimes setting things up in the middle of their night.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I haven’t sent them referrals because I want them to concentrate on my project. Once my project is complete, I’ll be more than happy to recommend them to anyone. They can’t do a bad job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a software outsourcing company working in multiple domains including mobile applications, interface applications, system integrations, etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techuz?

We had specific requirements for a logistic project for shipment tracking using new technologies. We needed a light-weight, fast-performing, and secure mobile application for iOS and Android. Our in-house team didn’t have the experience needed.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had meetings to go over the requirements, documents, and project estimation. Once those were clear, we moved on to development. Then they did QA testing. Our team verified their tests and we approved the product.

Within the app, the user goes through an authentication process to log in and see their active shipment. The app has a database that uses a tracking number to show the shipment’s status, whether it’s picked-up, in-transit, delivered, or lost. A dashboard shows the user active shipments. If they want to track it, they can enter the tracking number. There’s also a map to be able to see the current shipment location and they can contact their courier.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three team members. I mainly communicated with the project manager but I sometimes spoke to their developers.

How did you come to work with Techuz?

I found them through my network. One of my business colleagues is associated with them. I didn’t consider any other companies.

How much have you invested with them?

$13,000-$14,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2017 to January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

There weren’t a lot of bugs in the final app. It has been very helpful and has improved our client's organization. Before the mobile application, customers would call our client's call center to check the status of a shipment or log into their website to check the status. The mobile application offers real-time data sharing with the customer and has improved the quality.

How did Techuz perform from a project management standpoint?

I spoke to them every day. We had calls set up to go over the process. I also received a status update every evening of what was performed during the day. We used email and phone.

They communicate very well. They called and discussed queries or issues right away. We had really good communication with the project manager and the entire team. They also stick to timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Overall, I’m happy because my product was delivered on time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can improve in the project lifecycle, from documentation to database development to quality and delivery. For example, a requirement documentation is a basis for understanding but the documentation portion of their process wasn’t good. At every step, there were a few different things that can be improved. Their cycle isn’t complete and 100% reliable. We needed to involve ourselves more.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely recommend them. They deliver on time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a custom content developer and publisher. The specific project is for a startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techuz?

We needed to add backend bandwidth to a startup team and speed up the process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Techuz had the challenge of working with some modules of existing code and creating others from scratch.

What is the team composition?

They provide a team of four: a project manager, two backend developers, and one frontend UI developer. They scale the team size to suit the demands of the work phase.

How did you come to work with Techuz?

We found them on Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $13,000 to date. The project is ongoing, so we anticipate it will cost $13,000-$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Techuz in September 2017 and the collaboration is ongoing. We’ve completed several phases so far.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Techuz perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management and execution process works well. They methodically research the brief and scope, assign the appropriate skill set, and estimate task completion times.

The assigned project manager is the key to our successful working relationship. He is very responsive, going out of his way to make calls and give progress updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

First of all, Techuz is a pleasure to work with. They are a thoughtful and ethical company. Their CEO, project manager, and individual developers are professional and very personable.

The company marries great technical and organizational skills. They are good at solving problems and getting to grips with the specifications of the brief.

As a startup, our briefs are not as clear and thorough as some corporate briefs. Techuz can understand the context, application, and implementation with impressive speed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing I can think of, unless you could convince them to work on weekends.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Look no further than Techuz.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide analytics services for dental practices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techuz?

We had an inventory of existing applications built with in-house developers. We wanted to extend that inventory, but we didn’t have the bandwidth to do it all ourselves. We needed more developers in order to get things done faster. Speed was the big driver for our project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a couple of conversations describing the features and functionalities we were looking for and delivered visual mockups from our designer. Techuz explained what they could provide.

We’re currently in the coding phase. They have been enhancing our existing web app which needed additional functionalities to address some user-defined needs. We have pre-canned sets of data that customers can visualize in set ways. People were always asking us for more customizable reports, so we worked with Techuz to come up with a way for users to define their own criteria.

We’ve also worked on a mobile project with their team.

What is the team composition?

I’ve interacted with four people from Techuz. I mainly communicate with the managers, but I ask the developers questions as well.

How did you come to work with Techuz?

I shortlisted around 20 options on Upwork and had conversations with four or five. I selected Techuz based on their project history, number of hours billed, and reviews. A long history and high review count are important factors for me.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of their work has been $5,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Techuz in September or October 2017. We’ve completed a number of phases so far. The collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Techuz has delivered what we asked them to deliver. The projects that I ask them to do are not the final products that we release. They build 90% of it, and we put the final polishes on the end of it. That relationship with them is awesome. It’s maintainable, and that’s important to me.

How did Techuz perform from a project management standpoint?

They make a point to meet with us and understand the scope before starting a project. Techuz has an engaging team that asks questions and get clarifications. I was in touch with them four times per week when the project started, and now, we connect twice per week. Techuz does a good job of maintaining progress and pushing ahead, even when I don’t reach out to them. One of the best benefits of this collaboration is that they do a good job of staying on top of the project and communicating with me. I can be hard to reach, but they’re persistent and remind me when we need to have conversations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with a lot of outsourced companies and freelance developers, and Techuz stood out in comparison. It’s been great to do business with them. They’re very agreeable. They like to understand the problem that they’re solving at a deep level to have context as they’re building solutions for it. And, they do that with good energy and ask good questions about details.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d like them to be available more during my work hours. Sometimes it’s hard to connect because of the 12-hour time difference.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a great group to work with. They have a lot of different skills within their organization. On many of the projects that I’ve worked with them on, they can find the skills they need to execute on the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of an online food ordering software company for restaurants.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techuz?

We were trying to get our order receiving tablet app completed, so our customers could actually receive orders from the restaurant through their devices without having to call.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Techuz built the order receiving tablet app from scratch, and helped our development team build a mobile app (iOS and Android) that allows customers to order from their device. Once an order is placed, the in-store tablet rings. If no one confirms the order through the tablet within a few minutes, the phone rings to alert the staff of an order as a failsafe.

What is the team composition?

They assigned two people to us, along with a project manager.

How did you come to work with Techuz?

One of my internal developers recommended them, so I interviewed them and thought they seemed like a good fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent in the range of $8,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from March 2017 until the app launched at the end of June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The app Techuz developed has streamlined orders from both the perspective of the customer as well as the restaurant staff. The apps continue to work incredibly well for us.

How did Techuz perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams communicated daily throughout the process and we never had a problem. Their team provided clarity on the estimate and timeframe of the project, delivering it within the agreed upon terms. Despite taking longer than anticipated, requiring more of their time, they still managed to adhere to the budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They got the job done within the budget and timeline promised—a rarity among other app developers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They achieved the task they were given, even if our instructions weren't as clear as they could've been.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure your instructions and timeframes are very clear before you go into development to avoid any unexpected hiccups later on in the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a web developer based in the Netherlands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Techuz?

We have an in-house development team here, but sometimes we outsource to Techuz for Laravel projects when we need additional help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They normally create custom features in Laravel, and those vary depending on the client's needs. For a sales-oriented site, they might build a product preview interface from scratch where the customer can choose different items, change the colors, and so on. We'll outline the kinds of features the client is looking for and how we want them developed, and then they deliver what we need.

When we work with them we'll come up with a sketch or a design and request an estimate of how much time they'll need to build the site. After that's ironed out, we send them a final design so they can do the coding and fix bugs. We interface with the actual clients if there are any issues. Techuz does white-label work for us on these projects, so everything has our brand and our name.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four or five people on our last project, including the project manager and some developers. They'll scale the number of developers depending on the size of the project.

How did you come to work with Techuz?

I found them on UpWork. We tried many other partners as well, but Techuz had some of the best prices, so we decided to give them more work. It took a few projects, but they clicked with us. They're willing to deliver more than their initial time estimate and have a work ethic similar to ours. We felt like they'd be a good team to work with because we were on the same level.

It's quite difficult to choose a firm because everyone claims they're one of the best. Since we don't know what that means, we had to try many teams to see if they were capable of doing the work we needed. We still haven't found a perfect match, but Techuz is one of the partners we've worked with the longest.

How much have you invested with them?

At this point, more than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in early 2016 and we're still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

We've made some good products together, but some of the earlier ones perhaps weren't the best because of communication issues. When we started working with them in 2016, they had some difficulties meeting deadlines and communicating with us, and as a consequence, those products could have been better. However, within the past year, they've improved a lot and we produced much better products. I was happy with those results and I'm glad everything has worked out.

How did Techuz perform from a project management standpoint?

I speak with both the project manager and the developers every day when we're working on a project, and I think they try their best to deliver good work. One area where we've had problems is that they don't always correctly estimate the amount of time that a project will take. When I give my client an estimate, like 100 hours to deliver a site, I assume that's a fixed promise. I've run into issues with them telling me those deadlines are flexible and it could take longer, which is frustrating.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

The last project they made had fewer bugs, so that was good. They don't always understand well when we explain a project and what functionality we want, and it frequently takes double the estimated time to complete something. But this past project went well and took less time to make, so I'm impressed with how much they've been improving. I hope that continues.

In what specific areas can they improve?

I think it's important to improve communication. I'd also like to see improvement in project estimates. If they tell me 100 hours and I relay that to my client, I need them to hold to that. I've told them that if they need to add a buffer of extra time, do it from the start instead of waiting until near the end of the project, otherwise the client feels cheated and it can hurt our reputation.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Make your briefing clear and have everything outlined on paper, and add extra time to whatever they estimate.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a marketing consultant for Alloy Wheels Direct, an e-commerce organization that sells alloy wheels and tires to consumer worldwide.  I’m also responsible for the recruitment, management, and allocation of projects to outsourced web developers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Techuz?

We initially hired them to support the conversion of our fixed-width, static e-commerce site to a responsive mobile-friendly one.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase organic traffic to our site by making it mobile friendly.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We created a job specification which circulated on Upwork. We then interviewed candidates via Skype based on their initial response. We shortlisted about 10 companies and after going through further discussions with them, we selected Techuz.

Describe the project in detail.

We worked closely with them over several months. The job was broken down into nine milestones that covered different areas of the site. Their task was to complete the conversion of each section of the website to our satisfaction before moving on to the next area. Each milestone involved several iterations and testing to iron out bugs, which was all achieved by working collaboratively with them.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a single point of contact—Jignesh [Lead UI/UX Desgner, Techuz]. I believe there were several others supporting him but he alone managed the internal team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We saw a significant increase of about 25% in mobile traffic following the completion of the project.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Jignesh was very easy to work with and met all our expectations. Whenever we asked for additional changes or bug testing, our requests were listened to and put into action. There was very little, if any, friction between the two teams. Tech people are very customer focused.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

It was a very enjoyable experience to work with Jignesh; he’s an excellent communicator and he worked diligently in partnership with our existing team to successfully convert our website from a fixed-width site to a responsive design. The quality of work was very good and their price was competitive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of.